CMU School of Drama

Recent Comments

Tuesday, July 29, 2014

Twelve Frequent Hard Hat Questions

Occupational Health & Safety: Protecting employees from potential head injuries is a key element of a safety program in virtually all industries. The primary reasons for an organization to require hard hats in the work environment is to help protect employees from head trauma from objects falling from above; bumping into fixed objects, such as pipes or beams; or contact with electrical hazards. Head protection also can serve to help protect employees from splashes, rain, high heat, and exposure to ultraviolet light.

1 comment:

Alexa Taladay
said...

When I see a hard hat, my mind doesn’t automatically fill up with questions. They always seemed relatively straightforward to me, until I read this article. There are pages written on hard hats to reference on disclaimers (probably to avoid legal trouble on the basis of personal injury) about all different types of safety. Still, I’m unclear on how a paper sticker would harm the wearer of a hard hat if it is placed closer than a half inch to the helmet’s edge. Hard hats are a much more serious matter than I was lead to believe, as they need to be certified for the wearer to be adhering to general rules of construction. I was also surprised to find that different classes of hard hat represent different industry standards, much like a driver’s license that you wear on your head. I would like to know what happens when your helmet doesn’t meet ANSI or CSA standards; will you have to stop working? Just a 13th question to ask about hard hats, I guess.